Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-01

The cs.lu ..i.at had been brought Jo thS-.-
ater bore the name Of "Car1nen de Haro;n
and modestly in the right hand corner, in a.
most microscopic script, the further descrip-
ton Of herself as ARTIST" Perhaps the pic Z
turesqueness of the name and its historic sug-
gestion caught the scholars taste, fol when
to his request through his servant, that she
would be kind enough to state her business,
she replied as frankly that her business was
personal to himself, he directed that she should
be admitted. Then intrenching himself be-
hind his library table, overlooking a bastion
of books and glacis of pamphlets and papers,
and throwing into his forehead and eyes an
expression of utter disqualification for any
thing but the business before him, he calmly
awaited the intruder.
She came and for an instant stood, hesitat-
ingly, framing herself as a picture in the door.
Mrs. Hopkinson was right-she had mo style,"
unless an original and half foreign quaintness
could be called SO. There was desperate at
tempt visible to combine an American shawl
with the habits of mantilla, and 1t was al
ways slipping from one shoulder, that was so
supple and vivacious as to betray the defcien-
cies of an education in stays. There was
cluster of black curls around her low fore
head, fitting her so closely as to seem to be
part of the sealskin cap she wore. Once, from
the force Of habit she attempted to put her
shawl over her head and talk through the
folds gathered under her chin, but an aston
ished look from the senator checked her.
Nevertheless he felt relieved, and, rising, mo
toned her to chair with heartiness he
would have scarcely shown to Partisan toll
leta. And when, with two or three quick,
long steps she reached his side and showed a
frank, Innocent but strong and determined
little face, feminine only in its fash Of eye
and beauty of lip and chin curves, he put
down the pamphlet he had taken up some
what ostentatiously and gently begged to
know her business.
think have once before spoken Of her
voice-an organ more often cultivated by my
fair countrywomen for singing than for
speaking, which, considering that much Of
our practical relations with the sex
are carried on without the aid Of
an opera score seems q mistaken no
ton of theirs-and of its sweetness,
gentle infexion, and musical emphasis. She
had the advantage of having been trained in
musical language, and came Of race with
whom catarrhs and sore throats were rare
30 that in a few brief phrases she sang the
senator into acquiescence as she impaired
the plain libretto of her business-namely, q
adesire to see some Of his rare engravings."
Now the engravings In question were Ger
tain etchings Of the early Great Apprentices
Of the art, and were, I am happy to believe,
extremely rare. From my unprofessional
view they were exceedingly bad-showins
the mere genesis Of something since perfected,
but dear, Of course, to the true collectors
soul; Idon't believe that Carmen really ad-
mired them either. But the mink knew that
the 81 ,ator prided himself on having the
only p It hooks of the great "A, or the first ar
tistic efforts of 81 leave the real names to
be filled in by the connoisseur, and the
senator became interested. For the last
year, two OF, three of these denominations had
been hanging in his study, utterly ignored by
the casual visitor. But here was apprecia-
tionl "She was," she added, "only a poor
young artist, unable to purchase such treas
ures, but equally unable to resist the oppor-
tunity afforded her, even at the risk Of seeming
bold, or of obtruding upon a great mans
privacy" etc., etc.
This fattery, which, if offered in the usual
legal tender of the country, would have been
looked upon as counterfeit, delivered here in
a foreign accent, with a slightly tropical
warmth, was accepted by the senator as
genuine These children Of the sun are so
impulsivel We, of course, feel little pity
ard Of good taste and violates our conven-
tional canon-but they are always sincere
The cold New Englander saw nothing wrong
in one or two direct and extravagant compli-
ments, that would have insured his visitors
early dismissal if rendered in the clipped me-
tallic phrases of the commonwealth he rep
resented.
So that in few moments the black, curly
head Of the little artist and the white, flowing
locks of the senator were close together bend
ing over the rack that contained the engrav-
ings It was then that Carmen, listening to
graphic description of the early rise Of art
in the Netherlands, forgot herself and put her
shawl around her head, holding its folds in
her little brown hand. In this situation they
were, at different times during the next two
hours, interrupted by five congressman, three
senators, q cabinet officer and q judge Of the
supreme bench-each of whom was quickly
but courteously dismissed. Popular senti-
ment, however, broke out in the hall.
"Well, I'm blanked, but this gets me-" Che
speaker was territorial delegate.)
"At this time O. life, too, lookin' over pio-
tures with gal young enough to b his
grandchild." This from q venerable Official.
since suspected of various srotic irregular
ities)
@She don't handsome any," Ths honorable
member from Dakota.)
eThis accounts for his protracted silsncs
during the sessions" "a serious colleague
from the senator's own state)
"Oh, blank it ALI" Omnes)
Four went homo to tell their wives. There
are<ew things more touching in the matri-
moniM compact than tho superb frankness
with which each confides to each the various
Irregularities of their friends It Is upon
these sacred condolences that the firm founda-
tiOns of MARRIAGE rest uns1,alon